Riparian Brick Industries: Risks & Hazards

RIPARIAN BRICK INDUSTRIES: RISKS AND HAZARDS

(A case study of a brick industry on the bank of River Nonai, Tangla, Dist: Udalguri, BTAD, Assam)

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 Archana Das 2

IntroductionThe present age is,

doubtless, an age of concrete and bricks have played a major role in contributing to the growth of what in modern terms is referred to as concrete jungles prevalent all over the world. The importance of bricks has been felt acutely in the modern times what with an astronomical rise in human population. Interestingly India accounts for almost 11% of the world’s brick production.

This is a very encouraging sign in so far as economic development is concerned. However, in spite of making great strides on the economic level, the indiscriminate use of bricks has also its pit falls- it has led to the depletion of natural resources leading to the destruction of environment grossly affecting the flora and fauna.


According to National Green Tribunal there are at present about 10,000 brick kiln industries in India . On an average, the annual turnover of these industries is 2000 crore bricks ! In Assam, there are around 350 brick industries and these industries are producing around 700 crore bricks annually .

The picture however is not entirely rosy- over production of bricks has had an adverse effect on the availability of arable land owing to the rapid emergence of brick industries which have inexorably laid considerable claims on land which was primarily meant for agricultural use. The depletion of top-soil on account of the production of bricks has led to diminishing rate of the supply of grains and other agricultural products.


ObjectivesThe brick kiln industries occupy a very significant

place in rural and semi urban areas. Small and medium sized traditional brick kilns are growing in the towns and rural areas of Assam and have been playing a vital role in economic development of the regions, at the same time we cannot ignore the pollution risks associated with the brick fields. There are several environmental impacts of brick kiln of which the major problems are land degradation, water quality loss and air pollution. As a case in point, the brick kiln industry which flourished sometime ago in Tangla of Udalguri district in Assam has also a hand in changing course of river Nonai rendering a number of people homeless, landless, and totally impoverished. Considering the above mentioned issues, the objective of this present study has been to find out the risk and hazards of riparian brick industries.


Study AreaThe present study was conducted in Dakkhin Nalbari of Tangla under

Bhergaon Sub-division in Udalguri district of Assam. Its geographical location is 26° 34' 28.53" N Latitude and 91° 58' 32.42"E Longitude. The average attitude is 37 meters. The climate is humid and congenial, while the relative humidity is around 78%. The annual rainfall is 1850 mm (approx). The present study has been conducted in an old brick field of Dakkin Nalbari, Tangla of Bhergaon Sub-division, Udalguri district. The average annual temperature of Tangla is 25.40 C and the average annual rainfall is 184 cm.

A view of the study area from

Google Map


Field Work DetailsThe present work is involved in a number of field

based activities which were carried out from Feb, 2014 to June, 2015. During the work, an old brick field of Dakkhin Nalbari was selected for the case study. It is a residential area with a population of about 1800 people, located 1.5 km towards south of Tangla town. To collect data different local people of that area and few workers who worked in the brick field were consulted. During the field work the site was visited time to time in order to collect the following information:

a) The changed course of river Nonai.b) To locate the actual position of the brick kilns.c) To find out the actual number of ditches dug and

their position.c) To estimate the distance of the brick kilns from the

river Nonai. d) To find out the cause of disaster of Nonai river in that

area


Analysis of the StudyThe erosion that took place from 1994 to 2003 in the

Dakkhin Nalbari area of Tangla as a result of the flooding of river Nonai has an intimate connection with the brick kiln industry that flourished between 1987 and 1993. The facts gathered from the site can give a clear concept of the phenomenon.

A view of the study area during November 2014


Invitation to disaster

In 1987 a well known businessman of Tangla Late Naoram Das decided to set up a brick kiln industry on his own property which was located on the banks of river Nonai. Over a period of six years, his business grew considerably producing around 2 crores bricks which bore the insignia NCD. From the very first year of the establishment of his brick industry Naoram Das with the help of his laborers initiated the process of digging 3 large ditches measuring 50m x 30m x 1m in an area which was only 120 mts east of the the river Nonai. In this way, in the subsequent years the total number of ditches rose up to 22. The close proximity of these ditches to the river was literary an invitation to disaster as there was every possibility of triggering large scale erosion especially during the rainy season.

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Alarm Bells

The brick kiln industry stopped producing bricks after 1992 and consequently the whole area was left abandoned. Over a period of time the area turned into a veritable wilderness and was pronounced barren. Interestingly, from 1993 to 2002, the said area witnessed a strange phenomenon – rainy seasons that occurred during this period wreaked havoc in the area and the 22 ditches were flooded over with water. It was feared that owing to the close proximity of these ditches, there was every possibility that with every subsequent rainfall these ditches would merge into one single ditch due to the pressure exerted by the river water against the individual banks of these ditches and which would finally lead to unprecedented erosion and this is what exactly happened in the year 2000 when river Nonai flooded its banks and laid claim on two such ditches which were situated around 120 mts from the river. As a result, the river Nonai slightly grew in volume in the year 2000. The alarm bells were already sounded for the local populace feared that the river Nonai would in due course of time change its course with disastrous consequences.


Change of course of river Nonai

Between the years 2001 and 2002 the river, on account of subsequent floods, laid further claims on 15 more ditches that were situated along its bank. Remaining 5 ditches are still found scattering in the affected site of Dakkhin Nalbari. The force of the flood waters, over a period of time further weakened the individual banks of the ditches as the excessive force of the river water was cutting into the sides of these ditches and in the year 2003 fifteen more ditches merged into one single body of water and suddenly, the disaster occurred when river Nonai dramatically changed its course in a south-easterly direction. As a result, the villages lying in the adjoining areas were swept away by the changing course of river Nonai.


A comparative view of the study area during 1987 and 2015


Year No of ditches Total volume of ditches Distance from the river No of bricks produced

1987 3 1500 x 3 = 4500 m3

120 m 30,00,000 Nos

1988 4 1500 x 4 = 6000 m3

140 m 35,00,000 Nos

1989 4 1500 x 4 = 6000 m3

170 m 35,00,000 Nos

1990 4 1500 x 4 = 6000 m3

185 m 35,00,000 Nos

1991 4 1500 x 4 = 6000 m3

200 m 35,00,000 Nos

1992 3 1500 x 3 = 4500 m3

215 m 30,00,000 Nos

Total 22 33,000 m3 Average distance 171.66 m

2,00,00,000 Nos

Table: Year wise data collected from the site from 1987 to 1992


Damages

The changed course of Nonai river literary sounded the death-knell for the ecosystem people inhabiting the adjoining areas of the river Nonai. According to the data available in the Office of the SDC, Harisinga Revenue Circle, around 450 bighas of land was lost to the river which included 200 bighas of arable land, 170 bighas of habitable land and remaining 80 bighas of fallow land. In terms of damage to the property and human tragedy, 17 families have had to part with their homes including livestock. Even a part of the road connecting Tangla town to this village was swept away by the river in 2003.

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DiscussionOn analysis, it was found that certain factors seem to have played

major role in bringing about this disaster. They are as follows:1. Since 1993 repeated flooding of the area has resulted in the accumulation of sand which has grossly affected the fertility of the area.

2. The soil texture near the bank of the river is predominantly sandy and such its water holding capacity is low.

3. As a result of the sand deposits along the river bank, there has been a gradual decline in vegetation and plant growth.

4. To facilitate the construction of the brick kiln industry vast tracts of forested areas had to be cleared resulting in indiscriminate destruction of flora and fauna in that area.

5. The destruction of trees and forest for the procurement of fuel by brick kiln labours for cooking etc further accelerated the degradation of the area.

6. The unplanned manner in which the brick kiln was set up and the ditches that were dug up took a great toll on the river ecosystem.

7. In spite of the fact that two enormous ditches dug along the banks of the river Nonai had been annexed by the river in the year 2000, the district administration took no notice of it whatsoever.


Suggestion If we are to prevent such a calamity from taking place, it would be worthwhile to bear the following suggestions in mind:* The district administration should consult an expert committee of National Disaster Management Authority, before issuing permission to set up brick industries.* Construction of brick kiln industries along the banks of rivers be banned. * We should thought of alternatives to bricks for the purpose of construction.* We should try to develop new methods of making bricks whereby use of soil can be avoided. We may use Aerocon bricks, Fal-G bricks, Synthetic materials, Stones etc in place of bricks.* Various NGOs should organize training and awareness programmes to provide necessary instructions to the common people regarding the risks and hazards of riparian brick industries. * The district administration should detect if there is any existing riparian brick kiln industry. If such industries are detected, their permission should be cancelled or be asked to undertake necessary precautions to avoid such disasters.


Conclusion

Unscientific establishment of such industries may lead to severe environmental problems and the present study area is no exception to this rule. From the aforesaid analysis it is found that one should not meddle with nature and natural resources for the fulfillment of our mercenary needs. Before setting up industries of this type we should make extensive studies and conduct research with the help of experts to determine the viability of setting up of such an industry in a particular area. The Government and the concerned authority should take a serious note of this matter and promulgate rules and regulations for setting up such brick industries. We, the common people should also take necessary steps towards maintaining an awareness of potential hazards and risks that may result from carrying out activities like building brick kiln industries along the river banks so that we can prevent disasters from taking place in our midst.


Acknowledgement:We are thankful to Office of the SDC, Harisinga Revenue Circle, Tangla for

extending support in collecting some data necessary for the present study. We sincerely acknowledge the support of the local people of Dakkin Nalbari, Tangla and the informants for their assistance. References:1 . Dey, S and Dey,M., (2001), Deterioration and Degradation of Aquatic

Systems Due to Brick Kiln Industries, Curreent World Environment, 88-962. Krishna, G. (2013), Ban on making bricks, roads by digging earth, Environment and Occupational Health, 12-153. Sarraf, M & Iyadomi, K, (2013), Reducing Short-Lived Climate Pollutants,

One Brick at a Time, Prospects and Problems of Brick Industry, 126-132 4 http://www.toxicswatch.org/2013/09/ban-on-making-bricks-roads-by-digging.html?m=15. http://www.rvcfire.org/ourDepartment/OES/Documents/MJHMP_-_7.18.12_shrank2.pdf6. http://iigeo.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/11-Status-and-Impact-of-Brick-

Fields-on-the River-Haora-West-Tripura.pdf Informants:1. Sri Dilip Rajbongshi, 46 years, Dakkhin Nalbari, Tangla,

BTAD, Assam.2. Sri Dhiren Das, 43 years, Dakhin Nalbari, Tangla, BTAD, Assam.3. Sri Joy Ram Barman, 39 years, Dakkin Nalbari, Tangla, BTAD, Assam4. Sri Jiten Rajbongshi, 48 years, Ita Bhata, Tangla, BTAD, Assam


Archana DasAsst. Professor, Tangla College

Tangla

Pranabjyoti DasArunodoi Junior College

Tangla

Riparian Brick Industries: Risks & Hazards

Environment

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